Eye-protector.



F. H. REXTREW.

EYE PROTECTOR.

ArfPLlcATloN FILED 1AN.23. 1915.

l l 86,943 Patented June 13, 1916.

FRANK HOWARD REXTREW, 0F

HAMMOND, INDIANA, AssIeNoR rro ROY n. GREEN, or

WHITING, INDIANA.

EYE-PROTECTOR.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13, 1916/.

Application filed January 423, 1915. Serial No. 4,040'.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK HOWARD REX- Tnew, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city of Hammond, county of Lake,

and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Eye-Pro-4 tectors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to eye shields orpro` tectors adapted to be wornupon the face to protect the eyes, as from sunlight, wind and dust.

In one aspectof the present invention, its object is tov improve theconstruction set forth in my Letters Patent of January 5, 1915, No.1,123,376, with a View to providing a lighter device, one having endwalls free from an outstanding fold somewhat objectionable from thestandpoint of finish and under which dust may find its way and prove,objectionable, one'in which there is onlyv a single piece in the upperportion of the device in lts more simple formas distinguishedfrom twolayers of the material and between which two piecesdust and dirt mayaccumulate, and one also in which the visual and shading properties ofthe upper portion of the device are improved invarious combinations ofcolors and arrangement. In other respects its objects are to provideimproved means for Ventilating the device, both for comfort and toprevent foggino of the device-under certain conditions.

(eneral objects lare to provide an eye shield or protector which islight, strong and durable, of simple construct1on, and comfortable andeii'ective in use.

` Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying D drawings which forma partr of this specification,Figure '1 shows a rear view'of a preferred formof upper and lowersections secured together preparatory to turning in the ends; Fig. 2shows the upper portion of Fig. 1 without the Ventilating provisions;Fig. 3 shows a modified form of the lower portion of Fig. 1; Fig. 4shows the device as in use, the scalebeing reduced; Fig. 5 shows thedevice of Fig. 4 in side view; Fig. -6 is a sectional view of the deviceas on the line 6--6 ofFig.`

4 during the process of construction, the scale being enlarged; Fig. 71s an end view Aof the shield proper complete; and Fig. 8 is aperspective view of a fragment'of the rubber binding.

The shield or protector roper is formed preferably of thin and leXi lematerial suoli as. what is known as artiiicial ivory, celluloid,pyrolin, etc. The upper portion l0 preferably comprises a relativelylong strip of the material mentioned of sui'licient width to rovidedesired shade properties, and pre erably of the proportions shown withrespect to thelower part or parts, the outer lends being rounded toprovide a rounded edge at the end walls of the completed device. Thelower part of this element 10 is preferably cut so as to provide aclearance, as at 11, to increase the scope of the vision when the partsare made in the relative proportions shown, and a central preferablypointed portion 12 is provided, hereinafter` referred to.

The lower portion 13, Fig. 1, or 13a, Fig. 3, is preferably somewhatshorter than the upper portion and preferably has provisions foraccommodating the' nose of the wearer, as the notch 14. The ends of theelement 13 are preferably cut off on an angle, as illustrated, toprovide clearance for the folding operation, which cutting may be ofgreater or less angularity or may even be dispensed with inmodifications of the preferred form.

I also prefer to provide the tips or projections 15 integral with theportion 13, and substantially on the angle shown, as when the edge 16thereof is brought to the edge 17 in the folding .operation the endportions are in suitable position for being secured f together, suchcutting thus providing a guide for the folding operation. The provisionofthe tips 15 also strengthens the device at its apices or corners 18.The projections 15 may be omitted, however, as at 19, Fig. 3. The lowerportion of the device thus comprises substantially two wings A and Bwhich are before the eyes of the wearer when the device is normally inuse. Preferably I make the lower portion 13 in one piece, as shownin'Fig. 1, but the wings A- and B may bein two pieces, as in Fig. 3 forinstance, in

which general form they may be made separately according to thessize ofthe material available for use or as may prove advantageous in modifiedforms of the invent-ion.

The portions A and B are secured to the upper portion' along contiguousedge p'or- .e tions thereof longitudinal or substantially fiolongitudinal of the device and between its sides. vTo this end Ipreferably overlap the upper and lower portions slightly, and, by theuse of preferably transparent cement,

vthe parts are caused to adhere together.

A joint is thus formed between the upper and lower portions, which jointthe boundary between the clear lower portion through which the wearermay see freely and substantially unobstructedly and the upper or shadeportion through which, in the preferred construction, the wearer can seealso, but not so well owing to the darker color of such upper portion.But whether such upper portion have some visual properties or be opaque,the joint or line of connection between the portions shows the wearerwhat degree of tilting of the head is necessary to get the advantages ofclear vision, partially restricted vision or partial or completeshading, and in practice this line or joint is maintained above or belowthe pupillary range as a particular Situation or occasion may rendernecessary or suggest. The cement preferably is applied throughout theoverlapped portions as at 10a, Fig. 1.

The upper portion 10 is preferably of relatively dark material, or suchas has light-obstructing properties, when the de- Vice is formed as acombined eye shade and.

protector, which is the preferred construction and use. The lowerportion 13, 133,-or the equivalent, is of substantially .clearmaterial,or it may be described as transparent .1 or substantially transparent,which is intended to denote broadly the property of permitting objectsto be viewed clearly therethrough. Material of the character Specifiedis made with various tints or colors, such as amber and green, black,

. orange, etc. and is also untinted.

In my constructions I use various combinations of colors or shades. Forinstance, a substantially opaque or dead white, dead black,

darker green, deep orange, etc., for thel upper portion 10, while forthe lower portion or portions I employ either untinted material or thelighter shades of amber, orange, etc., the upper portion always beingrelatively darker or having greater light obstructing properties thanthe lower portion in the preferred form, in order to shade the eyes.

The upper. and lower elements having been secured together in anyapproved way, preferably by cementing, the end portions be folded orturned they come into overlapped relation. A coating of cement havingbeen applied to one end portion, as at 10b, the edge 20 of the element10 is drawn over the. edge 17 of the element 13 until the edge 20 1ssubstantially e end `or overlaps likely to accumulate dust and dirt. Thelconstruction also provides notable security to the device when one endis folded inward and the other end brought around and folded over it,thus bringingthe device into small compass for carrying in the pocket.The relatively narrow lap joint connecting the upper and lower sectionsof the protector efi'ectually' prevents any breaking or splitting at thecorners or angles 18 formed by the front wall and the end walls,especially when the tips 15 before mentioned, are provided. Withprotectors heretofore proposed, in which a single piece of Celluloid wasnotched at the end edges and the notched edges then cemented together toform the end walls of the protector, splitting atthe corners was aserious and unavoidable defect. An eyelet, as 27, may be employed tohold overlapped portions or for securing the holding means, as 21, ifdesired. formed as thus far described may be provided with means forsecuring the same upon the face, as for instance the iieXible andelastic ear loops 21, and thus be worn. I prefer, however, to provideaccessories to the simple form of device thus built up, for instance therubber binding 22, preferably circular in cross area and splitlongitudinally and toward the 'center in one wall, the edges of thedevice being inserted in the split of therubber and there secured, as bycement.

Another important-feature of the device is in my improved means forVentilating the same. I may provide the usual holes 23 for ventilation;but the present improvement is in a plurality of openings, as ,24, inthe upper portion l0, and, beyond these openings as viewed from thefront, a deflecting element, suitably a strip of materialas 25,preferably of the same material and color as is the element 10, whichmay be cemented or otherwise secured of the element 10 and caused tostand away slightly from the openings, as'24, on the inside of thedevice, so as to deflect, preferably downward, the air entering theopenings 24. I preferably make the strip 25, or the equivalent, of suchproportions that air will be defiected over substantially the e11- tirefront wall of the device, although one The protector lli) directly uponthe back v relatively short deflector over each eye would give improvedresults over the older methods. This Ventilating provision is importantnot only from the standpoint of comfort, but in preventing the foggingof the shieldV due to the otherwise warm moisture of exhalation from theface contacting the colder surface of the shield.

A further important provision is in means for shading both eyes from`light coming from the side of the wearer, as well as in equally limitingthe field-of vision of both eyes in the direction of the sides. This hasreference to the portion 12, preferably in the form of a sharply pointedprojection and substantially as illustrated, the preferred form, shapeand location of this ele- Inent or provision having resulted from manyexperiments and modifications leading to the present result. Looking atFig. .4 it will be apparent that light coming slantingly toward eitherside of the wearer will be obstructed for one eye by the shaded end wallof the device and that the depending point or projection 12 will performthe same function for the other eye. Also that when the wearer turns hiseyes either to the right or left his eld of vision will be limited forone eye by the shaded end wall nearest to it, and for the other eye bythe provision 12. In other wordsthe vision of the wearer to the sides isequalized so that he will not have his vision of a given object blockedfor the near eye by an end wall. of the device while the other eye is inposltlon to see it, such partial vision resulting 1n confusion andannoyance .to the wearer.

In some instances of use, as by the operatorof a motion pictureprojector, it may be desirable to have the lower part of the device ofrelatively darker material so that the operator may clearly watchthescreen through the upper part While his eyes are shaded from the lightof the apparatus, usually below his lines of vision toward the screen.

While I have illustrated preferred and a slightly modified constructionof the shield in its simpler properties, and preferred forms of certaincoperating features, the invention is not limited to what isspecifically illustrated and described, as various changes may be madetherefrom without departing from the spirit of this disclosure.Reference should therefore be had to the appended claims to determinethe scope of the improvements herein set forth.

I claim:

1. In a two-piece eye protector proper, the combination of an upperportion of thin and flexible material through which the wearer may seeand having light-obstructing properties adapted to shade the wearerseyes, and a lower portion of thin, and flexible substantially j clearmaterial through which the wearer may see more clearly than through saidupper portion sevide a wall at each end of the device, one of saidstrips extending substantially beyond the other at one end of the deviceand being folded upon said shorter end and secured thereto in overlappedrelation to provide a smooth and continuous end wall on the outside ofthe device.

3. An eye protector comprisingan upper strip of thin and ,flexiblerelatively dark material and a lower strip of thin and iexiblerelatively clear material, said strips belng'connected together atcontiguous edge portlons thereof longitudinally `intermediate the sidesof the device, said lower strip havlng ,a recess to accommodate the noseof a wearer, end portions of said strips being turnedl inward andconnected together to form a wall at each'end of the device, and meansfor holding the device upon a wearers face.

4. In an eye protector adapted to extend substantially across the faceofthe wearer, andy having normally outwardly projecting concavo-convexportions at the ends thereof, the combination of a shade portion inl theupper part of the device and a clear kportions thereof respectivelyintermediate the sides of the device, there being only one thickness ofthe material inthe uppervpart of the device.

5. In an eye protector proper adapted to extend substantially across the`face of the wearer, the combination of an upper portion uof relativelydark thin and flexible material throuvgh which the wearer may see andadapted to shade an eye of the wearer and a lower portion ofsubstantially clear thin and flexible material through which such shadedeye may view objects more clearly than through said upper portion when ithe device is normally in use, Said upperportion and said lower portionbeing se-- cured together at contiguous edge portions thereofintermediate the sides of the device,

there being but one thickness of the material dinally between the sidesof the device, up-

per portions of the device being relatively dark to shade the eyes,lower portions thereof being substantially clear for seeing clearlytherethrough, the device having provisions to accommodate the nose ofthe wearer, and

means for securing 'the device upon the,

wearers face.

7. In an eye protector, the combination of an upper shade part of thinand flexible material adapted to extend substantially across the face ofthe wearer, and a pair of substantially clear lower portions connectedto said upper part vat contiguous edge portions thereof intermediate thesides of the device, said clear portions having space provisions betweenthem to accommodate the nose of the wearer, end portions of'said upperand lower elements respectively being formed to provide a wall at eachend of the device, and means for holding the device upon the wearersface.

8. In an eye shield the combination of a front portion extendingsubstantially from end to end of the device and having a ventilationopening therein, and an element positio-ned on what is normally theinner side of the device and adapted to deflect a current of air passing-through said opening from the normally outer side of the device.

9. In an eye shield, the combination of a frontportion of' thin andflexible material extending substantially from end to end of the device,and having end walls, said front portion having a `pluralityofventilation openings in what is normally the upper portio-n thereof, andmeans on what is normally the inside of said protector substantiallyoverlying said openings adapted to deflect in a downward directioncurrents of air passing through said openingsfrom the outside of saiddevice when the device is normally in use.

`l0. An eye protector comprising in combination. a body portion of thinand flexible material extending substantially across the face of thewearer when 1n use, and havmg a plurality of ventilation openings in thenormally upper portion thereof, and a strip of thin and flexiblematerial secured to the inside of said body portion above saidopenings,said strip substantially overlying said openings, the lowerportion of said strip being spaced slightly from said body portion todeflect in a downward direction currents of air passing through saidopenings from the front of the device when the same shade portionintermediate the ends of the device extending normally downward fromsaid shade portion and substantially between the eyes of the wearer whenthe device isnormally in use, said downwardly extending portion beingadapted to protect an eye of the wearer from light rays Apassingslant-ingly substantially over the other eye.

l2. A two-piece eye protector proper comprising an upper and a lowerstrip of thin and flexible material, said strips being connectedtogether at contiguous edge portions thereof longitudinally intermediatethe sides of the device, said lower strip having a recess intermediatethe ends of the device to accommodatel the nose of the wearer, endportions of said strips being turned inward and secured together to forma wall at each end of the device, said'up'per strip being relativelydark to shade the wearers eyes and having a portion thereof intermediatethe ends of the device projecting in the direction of said nose recessand substantially between the eyes of the wearer when the device isnormally in use, said projecting portion constituting an intermediateshade for the eyes.

FRANK .HOWARD REX'IREW.v Witnesses T.-D. BUTLER,

M. KRIESAUD.

